UK ready to send observers to Bangladesh national polls: Envoy

British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson Monday said the UK is ready to send independent observers to the national election of Bangladesh if the country’s Election Commission allows for it.

“To ensure democratic institutions are effective, fair and credible elections are a must. A fair election must ensure that all parties are allowed to participate.  Everyone should be able to cast their vote freely, and the results of the election must be accepted by all parties,” he added, UNB reports.

“However, no foreign nation can tell Bangladesh how to conduct its election, and the demand for a fair election must come from the people of Bangladesh.”

Robert Chatterton Dickson was speaking at the “Meet the Ambassador” event, jointly organised by the Centre for Governance Studies and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Dhaka.

He said the upcoming change in leadership in the UK would not shift the country’s geostrategic focus from Indo-Pacific.

“The Bangladesh-UK relations is very strong now. And I am hopeful that this will continue to grow stronger in the future,” he added.

About Rohingya repatriation, Robert Chatterton Dickson said there is no quick and easy solution to the current problem and ensured that the UK would continue to provide Bangladesh with funding, as well as advocate for the issue at the UN Security Council.